Switch



April 21, 1931. WILEY 1,801,297

SWITCH Filed March 25, 1929 ml %I 1 \i/f/av Patented Apr. 21., 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEE M. WILEY, OF MARION, INDIANA, ASSIGI OR T DELTA EIiECTRIC COMPANY, OF MARION, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA SWITCH App1ic .tion flied March 25, 1929. Serial No. 349,769.

This invention relates to electrical switches and more particularly to the snap type of switch.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a toggle lever switch with new and improved means for making and breaking the contact between the terminal members.

Another object of the invention is the provision of new and improved means for operating a sliding contact member for opening and closing an electric circuit.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved switch operating mechanism wherein the operating lever may be of co -ducting or nonconducting material.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved electric switch that is cheap to manufacture, simple in construction, efficient in operation, composed of few moving parts and that is not likely to become broken or get out of order. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the lever element;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the plunger element; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the contact element.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference character 10 designates an attaching or supporting plate or member having openings 11 therein, through which attaching means as screws or the like are adapted to extend for securing the plate or member in desired position. The plate 10 is provided with spacer members 12, which are adapted to be attached at what for convenience will be termed their lower ends to a terminal support 13. In order to provide a cheap construction, the .plate 10 and spacer members 12 may be stamped from sheet metal, the lower ends of the space members 12 being reduced as at 1 1 to form the shoulders 15 for engaging the upper surface of the terminal support, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The lower ends of the reduced portions 11 extend through openings 16 in the terminal support 13 and are bent laterally.

The terminal support is preferably of insulating material and the terminals 17 and 18 are attached to said support. The terminals may be made in any suitable manner. As shown, they comprise angular members 19 and 21 which are secured to the support 13 by rivets 22 and 23 respectively. The rivets 22 and 23 form the contact members of the terminals. In order to prevent rotation of the angular members 19 and 21 about their respective pivots, they are provided with reduced bent ends 24 and 25 which are adapted to engage openings 26 and 27 in said support.

In the construction of electric switches, it is desirable that the movable contact element engage the terminals by a sliding action in order to insure a clean contact and remove any foreign matter that may accumulate on either the contact element or the terminals. In the present invention, the contact element 28 is employed for this purpose. This element may, if desired. be stamped from sheet metal having its ends 29 and 31 upturned and being concave transversely for engaging the convex rivet heads 32 and 33 which form the contact members of the terminals 17 and 18.

Suitable means are provided for operating the contact element 28 for opening an-l closing a circuit through the terminals 17 and 18. As shown a dead center or snap mechanism designated generally by the reference character 34 is employed for this )urpose.

This mechanism comprises a utton or lever element 35 which extends through an opening 36 in the plate 10 and is pivoted as by pin 37 to the spacer members 12. Mova ly associated witli' the lower end of the lever is a spring pressed plunger member 38 which is adapted to engage the contact element 28 for operating the same and for urging it toward the contact members 82 and 33 to insure electrical connection therewith. In

42 in the lower end of the lever element.35.-

The lower end of the lever element 35 is provided with an. axial opening or socket into which is mounted the resilient element 43 which as shown is in the form of a spiral spring. This spring is adapted to engage the connecting portion 44 of the plate or plunger member 38. The plunger member or plate 38 is connected to the contact element 28 in any suitable manner. As shown, the plate 38 is provided with recesses 45 and 46 which are adapted to engage in recesses 47 and 48 of the laterally extending cars 49 and 51 of the contact element 28.

The lever member 35 may be, and preferably is provided with shoulders 52 and 53 for engaging the plate 10 for limiting the movement of the lever element in either direction. The parts are so arranged that when assembled, the spring 43 will be under slight compression whereby when the lever element 35 is moved to either side of dead center, the spring pressed plunger 38 carried by said lever will slide the con'iact element 28 into and out of engagement with the contact member 33 with a snap action for opening and closing the circuit through the leads 40 and 50 and the contact members 32 and 33.

If desired, an annular member 54, of any suitable material such as paper, may be inserted between the plate 10 and the terminal support 13. This member extends about the spacing members 12 and the switch mechanism to form a housing therefor.

Preferably, though not necessarily, the plate 38 is made of insulating material. If the plate 38 be made of insulating material, then the button or lever member 35 may be of insulating material or metal as desired.

In the form of construction disclosed, the lever butt-on member 35 is of bakelite or other suitable insulating material. i

It is thought from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings I that the construction and operation of my device will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and that changes in size, shape, proportion and details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a snap switch, a sheet metal plate having laterally bent arms provided with reduced ends, a terminal support of insulating material secured to said reduced portions by extending the same through openings in said support and distorting the ends, a pair of binding angle members secured to said support by rivets forming electrical contact members, a contact element having a concave surface for engaging the heads of said rivets,

and shoulders on said lever for limiting its movement in either direction.

2. In an electric switch, a supporting plate, a dead-center mechanism pivotally mounted on said plate, an insulating member held in spaced relation to said plate, electrical contact members supported by said insulating member and extending therethrough, electrical l ead attaching means, secured to said insulating member by said electrical contact members, and a contact shoe yieldingly engaged by said dead center mechanism and caused to slide away from or bridge said contact members by said dead center mechanism.

3. In an electric switch, a pair of terminals, insulating means for supporting the same, rounded head contact members extending through said insulating means, a sliding contact shoe transversely curved to engage said contact members, a dead center mechanism for moving said contact member to open or close the circuit through said contact members, whereby because of said curvature of said contact members and said shoe, the alignn'ient of said shoe is maintained.

4. In a snap switch, a pair of contact members. a contact element for slidably engaging said contact members, said element having laterally bent edges, notches in said bent edges, a lever, a spring pressed blade-like operating member on said lever for engaging said element in trunnion-like relation to said notches for operating the same and for 

